Gleason brings big, consistent bat to Govs

Austin Peay State University junior Dre Gleason (11) gets his helmet pushed down by teammates as they congratulate him after he scored during their game against Eastern Illinois University on March 11, 2016. Austin Peay won the game 5-3.(Photo11: Ayrika Whitney / The Leaf-Chronicle)Buy Photo

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.— Dre Gleason steps up to the plate and immediately sees ball after ball after ball.

The clean-up hitter patiently waits as the opposing pitcher tries to weigh his options. Tempt fate by giving the junior a pitch he likes or let him get on base. A decision is made. The pitch is low and Gleason drives it anyway.

This is pretty common for Austin Peay’s most consistent slugger. Either he jacks a shot deep in the outfield or he sees a lot of walks, leading the team with 28.

“Because he is batting four hole, because he is putting up good numbers, because he has gotten off to a good start. People are pretty timid of stuff like that. They are afraid he is going to hit something hard,” said first-year coach Travis Janssen.

Gleason leads the team in hitting (.364) and RBIs (42) and is second in home runs (7).

“That’s always something you want to be as a hitter, a nightmare for pitchers. Somebody they don’t want to face,” Gleason said.

Despite his large strike zone at 6-foot-4, there really isn’t an area the Missouri native can’t hit from.

“A lot of times, even though he has a big strike zone, guys are timid. And when guys are timid guys pitch nervous and they end up throwing balls. Dre has done ... a good job of laying off the pitches he shouldn’t swing at, he takes his walks. But when people do come into the strike zone, he does a good job of hitting the balls far.”

Austin Peay junior Dre Gleason (11) makes the play at first base during theigame against Murray State on March 24, 2016.(Photo11: Ayrika Whitney / The Leaf-Chroni)

Gleason hasn’t always been this type of hitter.

“This year I have just been attacking pitches in the zone, early in the count, hitting the pitch that I want to hit,” said Gleason.

“Being a power hitter, I’ve always wanted to be that kind of guy. It took me two years but I’m glad it finally happened.”

Gleason is in the top 10 in nine of the main Ohio Valley Conference offensive categories.

“Gosh he’s an RBI guy. He drives in runs in the middle of the order. He’s a guy that’s steady. He’s been the same guy from the first game to the 30th game,” said Janssen. “He hasn’t gotten too high or too low."

Gleason's size and good hands also make him ideal to play first base.

“He gives our infielders so much confidence because he is a big target," Janssen said. "If they throw it in the dirt, his hands are soft enough that he can pick those up. … He’s done a really good job at first base. If the ball gets hit to him. It’s an out.”

Gleason did go through a recent four-game hitting slump that ended when hit hit a two-run homer at Belmont over the weekend.

“It happens to everyone,” Gleason said. “The good thing about baseball is I don’t have to go a whole week to bounce back after a bad game. I can just bounce back the next game.”